Basket-making machine.



0. M. GERBER.

BASKET MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30. 1912.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I M KDX HEH PM l ,3 ms 9W D.. M. GERBER. BASKET MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30,19I2. 1,199,263.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

i I AIII DANIEL M. GERBER, OF DOUGLAS, MICHIGAN.

BASKET-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed March 30, 1912. Serial No. 687,443.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. GERBER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Douglas, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Basket- Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in basket making machines.

It relates to basket making machines of the design and character appearing in United States Letters Patent No. 633,342, issued Sept. 19, 1899, to Durham & Devine, the same being intended as an improvement and development of such machine.

The objects of this invention are: First, to provide in such a machine an improved driving or actuating mechanism for moving the basket form in place. Second, to provide improved guide roll means for preserving the position of the basket form while it is being acted upon by the nailing mechanism. Third, to provide improved means of guiding the retaining bands or splints onto the side of a basket in the process of manufacture.

Objects pertaining to details and economics of construction will definitely appear from the description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the mechanism described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims. v

A machine constituting an effective and preferred embodiment of my invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specifioa-' tion, in which:

Figure I is a side elevation view of a ma chine embodying the features of my invention, a portion of the clutch being in section. Fig. 11 is a front elevation view of the machine with the nailing or stapling device removed, and with the bottom clamp broken away. Fig. 111 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 11, showing details of construction and connections for actuating the basket form. Fig. IV is a detail sectional view taken on a line corresponding to line 4-4: of Fig. 1, showing details of the driving mechanism. Fig. V is a detail diagram indicating the location of the staples or nails in their relation to the basket. Fig. V1 is an enlarged detail seccarried on the shaft 21.

tional view on line 6-6 of Fig. I, showing details of the support for the rollers on the form driving mechanism. Fig. VII is a detail sectional view on a line corresponding to line 7-7 of Fig. 1, showing the means for automatically releasingthe binding hoops from the form. Fig. VIII is an enlarged detail sectional view. on a line corresponding to line 8-8 of Fig. 1, showing one of the feed devices for the binding hoops.

In the drawings, the sectional views are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines and similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawings, the base 1 of the machine is preferably a casting on which are disposed standards 22 which are connected together at the top{ by a table 3. A countershaft A is suitably journaled in the lower part of these standards. A cone clutch made up of the members 5 and 6 is provided, the lnovable member of the clutch being controlled by the foot lever 7, fulcrumed. at 8 and having the upwardly-projecting arm 9 for en gaging the. same. The clutch member 5 is faced and serves as the driving pulley. A brake 10 is also disposed on the foot lever 7 so that when the clutch is released, this acts upon the driven member of the clutch to stop the machine. The foot lever is held upwardly by the spring 7. These parts all clearly appear in Figs. I and II.

A pinion 11 is on shaft 4:, and drives gear 12, which is carried by the shaft 13. A-

sprocket 1 1 is on the rear end of the shaft 13, and by means of the sprocket chain 15 drives the sprocket wheel 16, which is carried on the shaft 17. A set of friction disks 18 connect the sprocket 16 yieldingly to the shaft 17, so that when proper resistance is opposed to the running of the shaft 17, the sprocket wheel 16 will be driven without driving the said shaft. This constitutes a slip connection between the parts and offers a considerable degree of resistance. This will drive the shaft under certain conditions and slip under certain other conditions that will be hereafter pointed out.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the. shaft 17 is the spur gear 19, which meshes with and drives the gear 20, which gear 20 is An escapement mechanism, consisting of the wheel 22, provided with the irregular teeth 23, is secured i in Fig. IV.

proper guiding.

freedom of movement of the form to the side of the gear wheel 20. The teeth 23 are at varying distances around the said wheel 22, for purposes which will be hereafter pointed out. An escapement pawl 24, pivoted at 25, is designed to permit the intermittent, irregular movement of the wheel, as will be hereafter indicated. An arm 26 extends from the pawl 24, and is acted upon by the lug each revolution of the said disk. The disk 27 is carried and driven by the shaft 13 already referred to. These parts constitut-v ing the escapement are detailed particularly It will be observed, as already remarked. that the teeth 23 are not evenly distributed about the toothed wheel 22, but that they are at Varying distances, and the purpose of this will be hereafter explained.

The basket to be formed is of the oblong kind, known to the trade as the Climax fruit basket, and a hollow form 29 corre sponding thereto is provided with means for driving and manipulating the same.

The shaft 17 is provided with a pair of supporting rollers 30 acting on suitable ways 31 within the said form 29'to insure its A pinion 32 is also on the shaft 17 between the rolls, and engages a rack 33 corresponding in contour tothe interior of the said. form 29, and affords a;

means of advancing the same in the mannerhereafter to be described. A retaining and guiding plate 34 is secured to the larger end of the form by screws 35 The said plate embraces an. elliptically-shaped plate 36, which is secured by screws 37 to a pro jection on the standard 2. The periphery of the guiding plate 34 cooperates with a pair of rollers 38, see particularly Figs. I, II and III, to guide-the same and insure a regular and even movement of the said basket form. These rollers 38 are supported on the yielding arms 39, which are held yieldingly in position by the springs 40, bolts 41 extending through the rear end of the said arms and spring. A yoke 43 embraces the same and tension is applied to the spring by the set screws 42, so that the tension on the said arms can be varied to suit the requirement of any particular case.

A bottom clamp 44 is provided on the swinging arm 45 for holding the bottom of the basket against the form. This clamp is provided with a pair of rollers 44 while the. This clamp is foot lever 46.

bottom is held in position. controlled by the weighted which is pivoted at 47, and is connected by the chain 48 over the pulley 49 to thesaid arm 45, whereby the same may be manipulated at the. pleasure of the operator. Any suitable nailing. or stapling device, as 50, is

provided and disposed above the form 29. i esame 13 connected to be operated by the on the revolving disk 27 at This periphery of the to permit after indicated. Guides 54, with curved passages for the-binding hoops, are carried on arm 56, the guides being secured in position thereon by the set screws 55. See par: ticularly Figs. I and VIII. The arm 56 is carried by the swinging block 58. g

The guides 54 are forced upwardly automatically by the plunger 61, ed at 62 to the control lever 7, (see Fig. I).

plunger acts upwardly against the swinging block 58, which is on the rock shaft 57 journaled in a. projection 63 on the table 3 (see Fig, VII). An arm 59 is secured to rock shaft 57 (see Figs. I and II), which urges these guides yieldingly downward into contact with the basket when the same is released by the withdrawal of the plunger 61. The lever 7 is pulled up by the heavy spring 7, as before pointed out.

A basket bottom or board is put in place against the bottom of the form 29, which projects outwardly. This is clamped in place by actuating the lever ation of which has already been pointed out. The operator then throws-in the clutch by}; means of the foot lever 7 and the operation of the machine begins. The binding hoops are inserted through the guides 54 and the sides of the basket are arranged so that they can be rapidly put in position by the hands of the operator. The machine having been which is pivot- 46, the 013313. I

thrown into operation, the shaft l3 drives pawl 24 engages either one properly timed, has opportunity to descend and put either nails or staples into the hinding hoops of the basket. When this evolution is completed and the'disk 27 turns over, the lug 28 on the disk 27 strikes the ar1n'26, throws the pawl 24 out of engagement, and permits the revolution of the shaft .17 to carry the form to the next nailing point and these evolutions are repeated." It will be noted in Fig. V that the nailing distributed around the oblong basket, two" at each end, as C, B, and along the sides as. V

movement nailing areprovided for by A, F, E, D, and these steps in the of the form for points are properly locating the corresponding teeth 23 as A, 13,0, wheel 22.

D, E, F on the escapement It will be seen that the form is advanced gradually by the mechanism, and is retained in fixed position. by the engagement of the pawl 24 until the escapement is next tripped. During this interval the nailing or stapling device secures the hoops in place by inserting nails or staples therethrough. As the gear 32 acts upon the rack 33, the form will be advanced under the rollers 38, which rollers are held yieldingly in position, as has already been described. This will enable the form to be advanced, and the rollers, owing to the fact that they are held yieldingly in position, will hold the form effectively in place at any stage of the movement thereof. hen the basket has been completed, the clutch is released and the machine is stopped, and the full operation is then repeated.

I have shown my improved basket ma chine in its preferred form. It is capable of wide variation without departing from my invention as clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a basket making machine, the com bination of a suitable frame, a form driving shaft suitably journaled in said frame, a main driving shaft suitably journaled in said frame, a slip connection between said form driving shaft and said main driving shaft, a clutch for said main driving shaft, a suitable clutch lever for operating said clutch, a pinion fixed on said form driving shaft, a suitably journaled gear in mesh with said pinion, an escapement ratchet wheel fixed to said gear and provided with ratchet teeth suitably spaced apart, an escapement pawl pivoted on said frame, a cam wheel on said main driving shaft, disposed to actuate said escapement pawl to release the escapement ratchet wheel, a hollow basket form, a suitable guiding support for said form, a nailing or stapling device disposed and connected to cooperate with said form and timed to insert nails or staples when the form is at rest, hoop guides, a rod connected to the clutch lever, the upper end of said rod engaging the bell crank lever, whereby when the clutch is released the hoop guides are lifted, all coacting substantially as described for the purposes specified.

2. In a basket making machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a form driving shaft suitably journaled in said frame, a main driving shaft suitably journaled in said frame, a slip connection between said form driving shaft and said main driving shaft, a clutch for said main driving shaft, a suitable clutch lever for operating said clutch, a pinion fixed on said form driving shaft, a suitably journaled gear in mesh with said pinion, an escapement ratchet wheel fixed to said gear and provided with ratchet teeth suitably spaced apart, an escapement pawl pivoted on said frame, a cam wheel on said main driving shaft adapted to actuate and release the escapement ratchet wheel, a hollow basket form, a suitable guiding support for said form, spring pressed arms carried by said frame, rollers on the ends of said arms engaging the inner edge of said form, and a nailing or stapling device disposed and connected to cooperate with said form and timed to insert nails or staples when the form is at rest, all coacting substantially as described for the purpose specified.

3. In a basket making machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a form driving shaft journaled in said frame, means for driving said shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, a pair of rollers carried by said shaft on either side of said pinion, and a hollow basket form provided with an internal rack meshing with said pinion, and parallel guideways near the edges of said form cooperating with said rollers, all coacting sub- Etantially as described for the purpose speci- 4. In a basket making machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a form driving shaft journaled therein, means for driving said shaft, a pinion onsaid shaft, a hollow basket form provided with an internal rack meshing with said pinion, a suitable guiding support for said basket form, spring pressed arms carried by said frame, rollers carried by the ends of said arms and engaging the edge of said basket form, all coacting substantially as described for the purpose specified. I

5. In a basket making machine, the combination of a frame, a form driving shaft suitably journaled therein, a main driving shaft and connections between said form driving shaft and said main driving shaft, a clutch for said main driving shaft provided with a suitable clutch lever, a suitable nailing or stapling device cooperating with said form, a bell crank lever pivoted to said frame, a rod carried by one arm of said bell crank lever, a spring connected to the other arm of said lever, hoop guides carried by said rod, and a rod connected to said clutch lever, the upper end of said rods engaging the hoop guide carrying arm of said bell crank lever whereby when the clutch is released the hoop guides are lifted out of engagement with the basket form, all coacting substantially as described for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL M. GERBER. a s.]

Witnesses:

- L. W. MCDONALD,

JOHN R. BLINK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingt n, D. 0. 

